Carpet-stretcher



(No Model.)

o. 0. THOMPSON'. CARPET STRBTGHBR.

N0.574,l22. Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

Nrrnn STATES armar FFICE,

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,122, dated December 29, 1896.

Application iiled August 5, 1896. Serial No. 601,766. (No model) To LLZ LU/'1,0m it may concer/t:

Be itknown that I, CHRISTOPHER C. THOMP- sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grayson, in the county of Carter and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a speciiieation.

The invention relates to improvements in carpet-stretchers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of carpet-stretchers and to provide a simple and inexpensive device capable of simultaneouslystretching the four sides or corners of a carpet and of holding the latter while it is being tacked or otherwise secured to a floor.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a carpet-stretcher which may be readily adj usted to position the stretching-bars at the desired angle and to enable them to be quickly changed from one portion of a carpet to another in order that a carpet may be stretched at its corners and at intermediate points between the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carpet-stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a casing, preferably circular, and comprising upper and lower plates 2 and 3, a ring or rim 4, interposed between the plates and spacing the same, and a pair of parallel cross-bars 5, secured to the lower plate and the rim. The rim t is preferably secured to the lower plate to form the body of the casing, and the upper plate is removable and forms a cap.

lVithin the casing are mounted sliding rackbars 6, arranged in pairs and extending diametrically across the casin g, the pairs of rackbars being disposed at right angles to each other. The rack-bars, which are provided at their inner opposite edges with teeth, are arranged in recesses 7 and 8 of the rim of the casing, and the cross-bars 5 are provided with recesses 9, which register with the recesses 7 of the rim. These recesses form ways in which the rack-bars slide.

The rack-bars are operated by a centrallyarranged gear wheel or pinion 10, mounted within the easing on a vertical shaft 11 and meshing with all four of the rack-bars and adapted to cause the same to move outward and inward simultaneously. The members of each pair of rack-bars are located at opposite sides of the. pinion, and one pair of rack-bars is disposed in the plane above the other bar.

The vertical shaft, which extends above the casing and which is provided at its top with a handle, has fixed to it a ratchet-wheel 12, located at the upper face of the top plate and adapted to be engaged by a pivoted pawl 13, whereby the rack-bars are locked against inward movement.

The rack-bars are provided at their outer ends with pivotally-mounted boxes or sockets 14, receiving adjustable stretching-bars 15, extending outward from the four sides of the casing and adapted to engage the four sides or corners of a carpet, whereby such sides or corners are simultaneously stretched. The stretching-bars are adjustable to adapt the device to carpets of different sizes and are composed of inner and outer sections or bars 15 and 16, connected by loops 17, embracing both bars or sections and secured to the inner end of the outer section 16. The sections or bars, which may be secured in their adjustment by any suitable means, are preferably provided with perforations for the reception of a pin for locking them at the desired adj ustment. The outer section of each stretching-bar is provided with a head 18, having depending teeth for engaging a carpet and supl ported by opposite braces 19, extending from the ends of the head to opposite sides of the stretching-bar. j

The pivoted sockets permit the stretchingbars to be turned to the desired angle to enable them to engage a carpet at the desired points.

The casin gis provided at its lower face with IOC depending` supports to engage a carpet to prevent it from slipping during the operation of stretching.

l It will be seen that the Carpet-stretcher is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that the rack-bars are simultaneously moved outward and inward by rotating the shaft Il, and that the pawl and ratchet will enable the rack-bar to be locked against inward movement to hold a carpet when stretched and While tacking or otherwise securing the same to a floor.

That I claim is* A Carpet-stretcher comprising a casin g composed of upper and lower plates having an intermediate rim, said rim provided with two pairs of Ways arranged atright angles to each other and in different horizontal planes, two

pairs of rack-bars arranged in said ways, the members of each pair extending from opposite sides of the easing, a pinion mounted Within the easing and located between the members of both pairs of rack-bars and meshing with and adapted to actuate all of the latter sim ultaneously7 means for operating the pinion and for locking the same against rotation, and carpet-engaging devices connected with the rack bars, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER O. THOMPSON.

Vitnesses:

A. S. FERGUSON, S. P. HAGER. 

